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Do I have a comfort nurser?

I'm trying to determine if my son is comfort nursing and would benefit from a pacifier...i've been reluctant to give him one.

He is 6 weeks old, EBF and I feel our nursing habits are fully established. He's a good nurser and takes the occasional bottle well.

Here are the signs I see of possible comfort nursing:
* After a full feeding he'll be chill for about 15-20min then its back to rooting and sucking on his hands and eventually crying
* He does NOT like to be put down, he'll start rooting and sucking hands but when I pick him up he stops crying and also stops rooting.
* Same behavior in the carseat (unless he's good and full)
* Only way to put him to sleep at night is nursing and most other times nursing is what puts him to sleep

So... is this a comfort nurser or just typical 6 week old behavior? I worry because he will be going to daycare in a few weeks and i know he wont be able to be held the whole time and i'd rather him have a pacifier than the provider just trying to keep a bottle in his mouth all day thinking thats what he needs..

is a pacifier really that bad? And once I give him one will I be able to tell when hes actually hungry?? I dont want anything to interfere with our nursing...

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

6 weeks is a typical growth spurt. I wonder why being a comfort nurser is so bad though? It's one of the things that makes BF better than a cold plastic nipple. Additionally even though you are comfortable in nursing behavior at 6 weeks your supply is not yet regulated, "comfort nursing" works also to establish and increase mom's milk supply to suit baby's needs. Giving the paci may interfere with that and you may be working very hard to try to up your supply. Have you tried nursing while baby wearing? It helps get things done while maintaining the closeness baby wants.

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

with Jenna. I'm thinking that this is the big 6 week spurt, and you want to let the baby nurse as often as he seems to want. I can understand your concern about the bottle at daycare, though. How about nurse, nurse, nurse for a week or so, experimenting only occasionally (maybe once or twice a day?) with the pacifier? I'd also talk to your daycare provider and ask if they are willing to wear baby in a sling, to feed small amounts on demand, and find out what they know about caring for a breastfed, fed-on-demand baby.

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

One thing about daycares, yes you have to make sure that they know true hunger cues, but I think any DCP worth their salt will be interested in doing I correctly. Also you can provide milk in smaller quantities, like 5 bottles with 2 oz or something like that. Both my kids were in DC young, I had to return to work, 7 weeks and 8 weeks respectively, and the behavior they display with you is usually not the same at DC. They want you more than your DCP so they usually occupy themselves with other things and sleep more there.

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

Originally Posted by @llli*jenna562

6 weeks is a typical growth spurt. I wonder why being a comfort nurser is so bad though? It's one of the things that makes BF better than a cold plastic nipple. Additionally even though you are comfortable in nursing behavior at 6 weeks your supply is not yet regulated, "comfort nursing" works also to establish and increase mom's milk supply to suit baby's needs. Giving the paci may interfere with that and you may be working very hard to try to up your supply. Have you tried nursing while baby wearing? It helps get things done while maintaining the closeness baby wants.

Thank you Jenna! To be clear, I don't think comfort nursing is a "bad" thing, but I am trying to be realistic that he is not going to get the same amount of on-demand feeding/holding that he gets from me when he goes to Daycare. This is a big concern of mine, and i've found a great daycare thats willing to work with our structure but it still won't be the same for him. And the fact that you can't put him down without him getting fussy worries me in a daycare setting ...
I babywear and nurse all day, I don't have a problem getting things done at home...for me it's all about when he's NOT with me...

Thank you for your help and I will be sure to work with the DCP as you mentioned

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

My second is my little cling-on . What happened at DC was that he played more and established a close relationship with one of the ladies there. She carried him everywhere! They call her his 2nd mama! I'm always shocked though how adaptable kids and babies are. Try not to worry, prepare as much as possible, but see how it goes, maybe nothing will need to be fixed!

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

Originally Posted by @llli*mommal

with Jenna. I'm thinking that this is the big 6 week spurt, and you want to let the baby nurse as often as he seems to want. I can understand your concern about the bottle at daycare, though. How about nurse, nurse, nurse for a week or so, experimenting only occasionally (maybe once or twice a day?) with the pacifier? I'd also talk to your daycare provider and ask if they are willing to wear baby in a sling, to feed small amounts on demand, and find out what they know about caring for a breastfed, fed-on-demand baby.

Thanks Mommal! I think I might ONLY experiment when we are in the car...its the only time I can't satisfy his cries because i'm driving! I will make sure he has a FULL belly and if he still cries in the car then I can be pretty sure its NOT hunger and see if the pacifier satiates him...I just worry because I definitely don't want him hooked on a pacifier or for BF interference...and really crying in the car isn't SO bad....I can't make up my mind!

Re: Do I have a comfort nurser?

Originally Posted by @llli*jenna562

My second is my little cling-on . What happened at DC was that he played more and established a close relationship with one of the ladies there. She carried him everywhere! They call her his 2nd mama! I'm always shocked though how adaptable kids and babies are. Try not to worry, prepare as much as possible, but see how it goes, maybe nothing will need to be fixed!